Mr Herrera, accompanied by the Ambassador of Malta to Greece Joseph Cuschieri, explained that Malta has established a comprehensive legislative framework — the Cultural Heritage Act — in order to preserve the symbolic sites, cultural heritage and identity. Moreover, he noted that Maltese national agency for museums, cultural heritage and conservation practice Heritage Malta works on ensuring continuous conservation, restoration and management of cultural sites, including museums, historical sites and buildings, while effectively monitoring and reporting the impacts of natural effects on the heritage sites.

In addition, the minister stated that the conference offered the opportunity to conceptualise plans and learn more about how to fight the threat of climate change. He also underlined that the world is experiencing more frequent extreme weather phenomena, which is causing damages to different sites.

Thus, with the increasing incidence of climate change already felt through various sporadic extreme climatic events around the world, measures should be taken to adapt to climate change and protect infrastructures, natural and cultural assets, as the DOI press release says.  

Mr Herrera continued explaining that through the effective use of European Union funds, Malta is aiming to ensure the protection of archaeological sites through the construction of walkways and protective tents, the sheltering of ancient temples from direct rainfall, solar radiation and ground humidity so as to prevent potential damages, and reducing the risks of degradation while stabilising the environmental conditions to which they are exposed to.

The minister said also that Malta has recently set up an Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit to preserve marine sites and in order to make underwater areas accessible to the public, while preserving their history and culture.

In conclusion, he added that it is the duty of policymakers to protect such a public good and to design effective policies to address the issue.

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The ministry with SUNx are aiming to take the lead in a global effort aimed at converting the threat of global climate change into an opportunity. The Global Centre for Climate Friendly Travel will launch measures accordingly. Malta will aim to deliver a number of initiatives designed to support the sector in its transformation, in collaboration with SUNx.

These initiatives and transformations include an annual review of the “Sector Climate Friendly Travel”, which will be published within the context of the United Nations General Assembly alongside the United Nation’s Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit in September and will be circulated widely amongst industry players, as the DOI press statement says.

In addition, an annual Malta Think Tank and a Climate Friendly travel summit are planned, as well as a public/private collaboration to engage graduate trainees to help deliver transformation in the front line, entitled Plan for Our Kids to put 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions across all United Nations states by 2030

“There is a growing international consensus for a strong shift from talk to action. This is amply evidenced by the political action of the European Union in raising the stakes these past few weeks by announcing the allocation of 1 in every 4 euro of the next budget to climate resilience,” said Minister for Tourism Konrad Mizzi. “This initiative will put Malta at the forefront of this change in creating more climate-friendly travel. We will become the home of SUNx — the Strong Universal Network — a global centre for Climate Friendly Travel following the targets of the Paris Agreement set in 2015.”

SUNx Co-founder Professor Geoffrey Lipman noted that “The reality is that we have a Climate Crisis and that the scientists, the governments, and the next generation are demanding an increased ambition. Travel and Tourism is a pivotal part of human activity and has to be at the leading edge of change.”

“Our collaboration with the government of Malta will provide a new impetus through Climate Friendly Travel, Measured, Green, and 2050-proof: a pathway to the New Climate Economy and 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions by 2030 to help the transformation. This is carrying on the vision of Maurice Strong, the father of Sustainable Development, who believed that Travel and Tourism could be a catalyst for positive change,” Mr Lipman added.

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“Malta presents an effective case-study of water management under severe water stress, arising due to our semi-arid Mediterranean climate which significantly limits the availability of natural freshwater resources,” minister Mizzi said. “Climate change projections indicate that this, unfortunately, will increasingly be the case in Europe,” he added.

The minister emphasised the importance of ensuring a common regulatory framework, which could provide that water demands are met while keeping a high level of protection to the water environment even under conditions of chronic water unavailability, according to the DOI press release.

In addition, Minister Mizzi mentioned the significant improvements in the quality of Malta’s marine waters and the increased emphasis on demand management and water reuse which is leading to important reductions in national use of natural water resources.

Such efforts are supported through European Union funds such as the Cohesion Fund, the Regional Development Fund, and the Rural Development Fund.

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Mr Abela referred to the youth as the driving force for the successful implementation of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda. “Bearing in mind that half the world’s population is under the age of 30, investing in youth is critical,” the minister said.

“Those who learn from an early age to appreciate democratic values can help build stable democratic and peaceful structures for the future,” the minister said. On this note, he mentioned that Malta became the second country within the European Union after Austria to lower the national voting age to 16, so they can also cast their vote in the upcoming MEP and local council elections. Minister Abela also praised the work of the National Youth Council in Malta and the contribution of Maltese youth to local council work.

“We believe that more emphasis should be put on the benefits of cleaner, climate-smart growth with a view to bringing new jobs, economic opportunities and innovation. Through the engagement of different stakeholders, including the private sector, we can increase the drive towards achieving sustainable, responsible investment opportunities,” Mr Abela said.

The minister added that while the Joint Synthesis Report (JSR) produced by the European Union and its member states on how to implement the sustainable development goals through EU Development Policy shows significant progress, it also has some deficiencies in follow-up measures on the agreed commitments. He urged the mainstreaming of sustainable development across all sectors, as well as he voiced the importance of contribution to be made to the JSR in view of the capacity building measures.

The Development Foreign Affairs Council — chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini — also discussed the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda. The ministers exchanged views on how to successfully tackle the challenges of climate change. The discussion contributed to the preparations for the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, coming up in July this year, as well as to the Climate Summit and the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, to be held in September 2019, as a side event of the United Nations General Assembly, according to the DOI report.

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